Passing the time
by Spooksdarkhero
Summary: Since being captured by the Russians Lucas has a lot of time on his hands.
1. Chapter 1

_**Passing the time.**_

Someone should change that light blub.

It was beginning to really annoy him.

It has been flicking on and off for days now.

It was broken and yet no one cared… Lucas understood how it felt.

How long has it been? What date was it? Lucas had lost count on the days and couldn't be sure on the month. Was not like they kept calendars around to help you keep track of things, some of the other prisoners said it was Christmas but no one knew for sure. He has no idea where he is either as he had a bang over his head when they brought him here. Lucas found that amusing almost as he hardly expected to see familiar faces greeting him as they led him inside this prison.

So here he is, either in a Russian prison or a Finnish one for all he knows. He has been alone for days now which only means he is due for visit from the guards. Being alone is nothing new for Lucas, sometimes he prefers it. He was never one for parties or social scenes much prefer reading a good book or going to work. But being like this alone and forgotten is even pushing Lucas to the limits. He would even take Malcolm blabbing on about his latest gadget or his mother… anything over this.

Lucas has done what he could to keep his mind busy. He remembered old books and stories, replayed old missions, counted the titles on the floor, named the cracks on the wall and so on. He has even invented names and backgrounds for his torturers. He felt at times like Edmond Dantès from the book 'The Count of Monte Cristo' only Lucas was well aware of his crime unlike Dantès. Lucas had simply gotten caught in Russia with his hands on important documents… a spy caught spying on Russia; they were never going to send him home with a slapped wrist.

His last mission he has replayed from every possible angle he can think of many times. How did it happen? How did they catch him? Were there any mistakes in the mission's plan, Lucas could find none… but that didn't stop him trying what else was there to do. This was not like the films; there would be no rescue, no break because the world was not like the films. Spying was not all about guns, gadgets and woman it was more about blackmailing, under the table kind of deals and Lucas certainly not feel like he was a worthy assert for MI5 to risk breaking out.

He can't remember the last time he has had a cold beer nor the last time he spoke to someone in English. Something so simple like asking someone for the time in his native language and he has no idea when he last used it.

What is worse is when they come to torture Lucas it does not hurt as much as when they first did which tells him one thing… he has gotten used to it. What does that say about him as a person? That he could get used to torture? Is he the same man he once was? Of course not! He already looks different, his body covered in tattoos and he has lost a great deal of weight. His body is straining and crumbling under the weight of the years inside this prison. He had to get the tattoos naturally to blend in and become one of the prisoners; it was either that or be beaten by them as well. Lucas had surprised himself by taking the whole thing so seriously and carefully choosing what he would have tattooed one him. He wanted them to have meaning although he thinks that the meaning will be lost on many when he returns home… if he ever does that is. Does he even have a life after this? Or is he to stay here and rot in this cell or die randomly. Either one prolonged torture or simply be shot in the back of the head one day randomly.

There was a period where he was treated well, he had good meals, warm beds and such offered to him all he had to do was spill all of MI5's secrets and Lucas ever the fool rejected them. He did say once yes when they asked if he would become a spy, well why not? Worth a shot to get home after all.

He misses it… home. The people he knew met and worked with at MI5. He understands why they haven't come and rescued him, he may not like it but he understands.

A memory comes to him and with nothing else to do Lucas lets him takes hold of him and goes back to his first meeting of Harry.

"Ah yes, Mr North sit down please" Harry said walking into his office.

"Thank you and it is Lucas please," Lucas replied taking a seat.

"Very well then Lucas I have heard a great deal about you," Harry replied opening the folder that contained all the information from previous tests Lucas had been involved in.

"Not too much I hope," Lucas joked. Harry smiled back at him and they started the interview that would see Lucas become one of MI5 and lead him to Russia.

Fin

Reviews please, love to get some comments thinking I might write another chapter.


	2. Chapter 2

_After a long wait here is the next chapter in the day of the life of Luca's prison holiday. _

He was getting a headache.

One of those mind crushing headaches that only gets bigger and never goes away.

He couldn't say he was surprised given his current position.

Lucas was tied to a chair with his eyelids taped open and a giant light shown in his face. His head was strapped so he couldn't move it away from the light, he was simply left there to stare at it… and it was really beginning to hurt. Part of him screamed that he deserved this. This was his reward or punishment for his past sins, for what happened with Vaughan in Dakar…

He never told anyone about that not even Harry. That little episode will stay with him until he dies. Funny how murdering so many people by using a bomb can be summed up as an 'episode' or a moment of madness. Well what else was he meant to do? Confess the whole thing to the Russians demanding they inform MI5? They would probably laugh at him!

His eyes strained and his vision blurred for the 100th time how long had he been like this? Lucas couldn't tell instead he tried for the 1000th time to look anywhere but the light. If he really strained he could just about see his tattoo on his shoulder in the corner of his eye… it had been the first one he had gotten.

"_Ouch" Lucas cried looking anywhere but the needle._

"_Sorry try and hold still," the Russian man told him what was his name? Yuri that was it a hairy Russian who had been in here for years who did most the tattoos in here… that was all Lucas knew about him "nearly finished."_

"_Good" Lucas muttered gritting his teeth._

"_Don't be like that in a few minutes you have a nice tattoo to show off all your prisoner friends!" Yuri responded mocking Lucas. "Besides the first one is always the most painful!"_

"_This will be the only one" Lucas replied bitterly. He had been here only a few months and was only getting this to blend in and didn't want to get anymore. Elizabeta his wife hated tattoos calling them disgusting… great he had nearly gone a whole day without thinking her now she would be stuck in his head all night. _

"_Hah!" Yuri laughed "that is what they all say my friend! Just one little tattoo to keep the bullies away next thing you know you will look like me!" Yuri proudly showed off his left arm which was covered in various tattoos and words. _

"_Anyway it doesn't matter one, three, five tattoos it is good that you are getting into the spirit of things here!" Yuri told Lucas._

"_Does it look like I have much of a choice?" Lucas muttered darkly then a thought stuck him he hardly knew Yuri at all might as well make some conversation… could be the last time Lucas talks to anyone for awhile. _

"_Why are you here?" Lucas asked._

"_I robbed a bank and murdered 5 people doing it" Yuri replied as if he was simply stating what he had for breakfast that morning. Yuri noticed Lucas's discomfort and it was not just because of the needle. "Oh I am sorry my friend I robbed the bank because it was run by greedy evil men! No wait I forget! I robbed it to help feed my darling wife and my 10 little girls! And those people I killed each of them were terrorists! Not one of them went to church in their lives! Happy now?" Yuri leered at Lucas. _

"_Delighted!" Lucas sneered back_

"_You are jail Mr North! I suggest you get used to it you will be here for awhile" Yuri laughed finishing Lucas's first tattoo. _

Yuri had done far more than just one tattoo on Lucas by the time he had been killed for reasons Lucas was never too sure with. Lucas was used to that eight years in a prison lots of a names and faces had come and gone. Lucas had kept on surviving, managing to keep living by the skin of his teeth and for what? For one day to have his cell door open and for the someone British to walk in and hug him and tell him that the world has moved on so much that the Russians and the British are best of friends? Lucas had better chance of winning the lottery.

What was happening outside these walls? Where were his friends? Harry? Tom? Had Tom made MI5 his own, he would be the team leader there with Lucas stuck in prison after all. The chief of Section D Tom and Lucas had worked for was a man called Tim. In his 40s, calm, direct and a touch too by the books for Lucas's tastes Lucas had never really warmed to him but then Tim had never opened himself up in that way. He was their leader Lucas and Tom were his agents. Lucas suppose it made sense putting the play it safe Tim in charge of two gung ho and inexperienced boys like Tom and Lucas. The boys would keep Tim in his toes and Tim would show Lucas and Tom how to do things properly. Tim had died before Lucas had come to Russia, killed by a single bullet in a gun fight one of those quick deaths you pray for in the field.

It was part of the reason Lucas had taken the Russia mission. With a position up for grabs and Harry in need of a replacement it was time to impress. So go to Russia, complete the mission with all the style you can muster, come home, shake Harry's hand and accept his offer of the chief of section D… simple really. Things had been so simple once Lucas mused as another memory took hold of him.

"_Morning Lucas" Harry said walking into the briefing room where Lucas was waiting. _

"_Mr Pearce," Lucas replies with a nod_

"_How many times do I have to tell you Harry please! Mr Pearce sounds like a geography teacher," Harry joked smiling back at Lucas. "I hope you enjoyed your training?"_

"_Yes it was good," Lucas responded. _

"Good you will need it, " Harry told him beckoning someone behind Lucas to enter. Lucas turned and a man who he had never met entered the room.

"Lucas North meet Tom Quinn" Harry watched as the two men eyed each of other and shook hands.

"Good to meet you" Tom said.

"Thank you, likewise" Lucas responded


	3. Chapter 3

It was not the first deal that Lucas had been offered.

Lucas seen a few deals in his time here in a Russian prison. Some good, some barely worth his time and none that Lucas would even consider. I mean just because Lucas was in prison doesn't mean that he was willing to sell himself short. He still had his pride… hadn't he?

It had been another typical day. A dream full of all the things Lucas was missing right now, MI5 and his wife Elizabeta… where was she now? Did she still grieve for him? What had MI5 told her about his whereabouts? Or given her some story that he had been killed? Lucas couldn't bare that idea of her grieving over his death but he wouldn't want her to waste her life waiting for his return.

Arkady Kachimov had the deal out in front of Lucas with nothing between them but a table and a piece of paper with a deal typed on it. They were sitting in front of each other at a table… there was coffee, few biscuits and everything Lucas was almost impressed.

"No" Lucas said simply.

"No? you haven't even looked at it." Kachimov smiled at Lucas.

"Whatever it is I am not interested," Lucas gritted his teeth.

Arkady Kachimov laughed at Lucas "Your hardly in a position to turn me down" he grinned his smile, it was a smile that Lucas had quickly learned to hate. "Lucas let me tell you something, the only reason you are alive is that people think that you will be useful. You can tell them things about MI5, about their enemies and if you cannot do that because… you are outdated you become useless. Useless things tend to be… destroyed."

Lucas could only nod. Lucas had never wanted to be useless or just another face. He wanted to make an impact and had done some questionable things in order to be something. He had tried to make amends of his history with Vaughan with his work with Harry and MI5. But someone had decided that is was not enough and he was paying for it now… oh how he was paying for it!

Maybe he should do it, say yes and do whatever Kachimov wanted but he suspected that Kachimov wouldn't believe Lucas had turned his back on his country so easily. After all it was only 3 years he had been in here was that enough?

"_I was thinking I would say something" Lucas said breaking the silence. It was often like this between Tom and Lucas the pair were friends but hardly went out at night to the pub. They were professionally friendly at best and both had respect for each other. _

"_Like what?" Tom asked looking up from his computer screen. _

_Lucas sighed "I don't know a few words. We owe him that at least." It had been a few days after Tim had been shot dead. Neither was sure what to say or how to react. Tim had been there their team leader but now thanks to his death their was a void in the team's position although Harry had talked about getting someone from MI6. _

_Tom shrugged, said nothing and there was nothing new about that. _

"_You don't think you will ever be affected by this? Seeing someone close to you die?" Lucas questioned Tom._

"_This is a job Lucas and people die. The best we do is not say a few words but continue doing their work and honour them that way." Tom stated and then went back to working on whatever he was working on his computer. Lucas looked at him before silently agreeing and returning to work. _

"So your answer is no Lucas" Kachimov said bringing Lucas away from his flashback. Lucas nodded and Kachimov smiled merely. "That's okay you will plenty time to change your mind."

And with that he left and Lucas was led back to his cell… and his home.

_Bit of short update as I am trying to work out where to go with this story. I wanted to capture Lucas in prison with a little bit of background on his life before but am running out of ideas. Any advice or comments would be great. _


	4. Chapter 4

Lucas had been in worse places but was having trouble thinking what they were.

He must have been here all day. Stuck in this car boot. Caged and cramped like a rat in a cage. Who ever the driver was certainly wasn't going easy on him hitting every bump and crack on the road or maybe Lucas was just making it up. He had long finished the bottle of water they had given him. He had nothing to do but lie there and think and Lucas was really fed up of being left to think.

Where were they taking him?

He had left the prison days ago and seem to be travelling since then. He had no idea where as he was taken with a bag over his head. Where could they be taking him? He was already in hell so why move him? Maybe they had sold him. He had heard of spies who were being held captive by countries and then sold to other countries. It wasn't uncommon but who would want him? He had been held in a Russian prison for eight years. Any information he knew would be outdated and next to useless in the current world. Using him as pawn to force the British government to do their bidding was pointless as it was clear as getting him back wasn't high on their to do list.

Was this another form of torture dreamt up by Kachimov? Drive Lucas around and around until he started screaming in the boot? Lucas had to admit original and considering he had been subjective to just about every form of torture in eight years that was saying something. Lucas was pulled out of the boot of the car. _Finally_ Lucas thought to himself _so what now? _He struggled to stand, his legs sore and back aching after being in the boot for so long. The bag over his head was finally pulled from his head. His eyes struggled to adjust to the light but as he turned he could see him.

It was Harry.

He was older yes but that was only natural.

Lucas couldn't believe it, it was Harry! Was this a dream?

The man next to Harry started walking towards them and Kachimov told Lucas to start walking. It finally clicked this was a spy swap. That Bastard Harry had finally got him free.

Lucas started walking slowly towards Harry. The man and Lucas past each other without a word. What was there to say? Swap life stories? Ask about the latest football scores?

Lucas walked up to Harry who greeted him with a smiling. He was smiling how could he be smiling at a time like this?

"Hello Harry" Lucas said smiling back at Harry

"Lucas" Harry greeted him "how are you?"

"Good" Lucas replied "cold"

Lucas wished he could say something else but nothing came to mind. He was cold, freezing in his worn clothes in this cold English air but he was also cold and numb to the events. No one had told him this was going to be happening or this would take place. He couldn't quite believe it he had been expecting another torture session and now he was free.

He particularly fell into the backseat and felt overwhelmed by the events. He watched with weary watched as Harry and Kachimov walked up towards each other and began to talk. Lucas couldn't hear what was being said and didn't care. It would be usual post spy chat and Lucas wanted no part it save it for another day.

Another day that is how Lucas felt about the whole thing. This wasn't the end, it was the beginning. He was home and ready to go back to work. Lucas was no longer a lost agent, missing in action, a prisoner, a name and number on some piece of paper.

He was back at MI5.

He was ready to be Lucas North again.


	5. Chapter 5

"_Just so long you be here on 4__th__" She told him. _

"_I will be don't worry" Lucas told her finishing his packing._

"_But it's oh sudden! What kind of drama is this time?" Elizabeta asked annoyed_

"_It's just a simple function but the company wants me to meet some people" Lucas explained_

"_Ah yes the company" Elizabeta mocked him. It was an old argument between them about how much time Lucas put into his work. _

"_Hey" Lucas said softy going over to her "it's just going to be a few days."_

That was the last thing he can remember them talking about. The street lights flash as he gazes outside the window of the car. He still feels almost detached. It is like he is not really part of events happening here… he is rather enjoying the feeling after so many years of being the focus of events in prison.

They had repainted the walls Lucas through. Looking around he didn't recognize anyone walking around and in front of a computer. But then Malcolm came into view, good old Malcolm. Lucas had liked Malcolm from the off while he was probably too into computers and gadgets but that is what made you like him. If Malcolm fitted you with a bug you knew no one would find it. If you need to find someone or something Malcolm could run any search and find it for you. He was that good.

Malcolm was still as socially awkward as ever _good to see some things never change _

Lucas through. Lucas had been forced to joke about the conditions _that's it Lucas keep it light _Lucas told himself _don't let them know what it was really like. _Seeing Connie was a surprise. Lucas had only heard of her but enough to respect her based on her background.Still no sign of Tom Quinn which could only mean bad news. Then before he knew it Adam, Connie and Harry were inside Harry's office dealing with another emergency while Lucas was on the outside.

Lucas was given a tea by Malcolm who then had to rush off and work. Lucas watched as people came and went from Harry's office, he watched as the team went into the briefing room and had a meeting, he watched in a corner as people went about their work. He wasn't part of the team anymore. It made him sick to his stomach seeing this. This was where he belonged and even though he was free he still wasn't part of the machine. _This job is like a machine_ he recalls something Harry had once told him. Well time to start working again spotting Adam walking away from Malcolm.

Lucas asked if he could help Adam and his team. He mentioned Andy Sullivan who was kidnapped. Adam didn't say anything but Lucas suspected he must be a little surprised that Lucas knew all about the situation that the team where facing. Lucas had been doing more than just having a cup of tea. He was an ex spook after all it had been his job to discover things. Adam listened to what Lucas had to say and then promised to talk to Harry. Lucas smiled it was a start.

Harry naturally wasn't too keen on it. Lucas had asked about Tom Quinn and got his answer _early retirement_ which was made it clear there was a whole bigger story. Naturally the issue of Lucas's condition was the big reason why Harry wasn't too keen. But Lucas was adamant about this, his mind was made up and he was not about to sit around drinking tea. Lucas was always head strong about such things and won't take no for an answer.

So he was on the team until midnight the next night at least. He and Adam were working alongside each other but neither was having a chance to express their feelings or past. There was no time and if one think that felt so familiar to Lucas it was the feeling that they had no time to stop. It was an old feeling but Lucas welcomed it… it reminded him of being a spy.

They managed to find Andy Sullivan just before he was moved by his kidnappers but all too soon they discovered that the whole kidnapping was a decoy. Another familiar feeling for Lucas realising that the stakes have just got higher. Adam's driving was insane as they raced to the location they burst out of the car, Adam to the car and Lucas to the target.

Before Lucas knew it Adam was driving the car away from Lucas's location. The target was dead killed by a pill Lucas couldn't stop her and all he could do was listen in on the comms as Adam drove the car bomb away. He could hear Malcolm furiously giving instructions as well Harry urging Adam to ditch the car. Adam won't listen… he was one of those type of people who wouldn't listen.

Lucas heard the bomb go off and he could see the smoke coming up from behind the buildings. When Lucas asked all he got was silence from Malcolm which made it clear… Adam Carter was dead.


End file.
